Green Card Rules: Replacement, Renewal and Holder Duties

If you are a lawful permanent resident of the United States, you must replace your Green Card in specific circumstances set by USCIS, including when it expires or will expire within six months, when it is lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed, or when your name or other biographic information legally changes. You file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, online or by mail, and if approved USCIS mails you a new card. Conditional permanent residents holding a two-year card do not renew it; they must instead petition to remove the conditions on their residence, or they will lose permanent resident status. This article sets out the replacement triggers, the filing process, and the ongoing obligations of Green Card holders, based on USCIS guidance.

When You Must Replace Your Green Card

USCIS lists ten circumstances in which a lawful permanent resident must replace their Green Card. The most common is that the card is expired or will expire within the next six months. The others are less frequent but equally mandatory.

You must also replace the card if your previous card was lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed; if you received your card before you turned 14 and have now reached your 14th birthday, unless the card expires before your 16th birthday; if you have been a commuter and are now taking up actual residence in the United States; or if you have been a permanent resident residing in the United States and are now taking up commuter status. Replacement is also required if your status was automatically converted to permanent resident status, which includes special agricultural worker applicants who converted, and if you hold a previous version of the alien registration card such as USCIS Form AR-3, Form AR-103 or Form I-151, which are no longer valid to prove immigration status.

Finally, you must replace the card if it contains incorrect information, if you have legally changed your name or other biographic information since you last received it, or if you never received the previous card USCIS issued to you.

Replacement Rules for Conditional Permanent Residents

Conditional permanent residents follow a narrower set of replacement triggers. They must replace their Green Card if the previous card was lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed; if the card contains incorrect information; if they have legally changed their name or other biographic information since last receiving the card; or if they never received the previous card USCIS issued.

The critical distinction is that a conditional permanent resident whose two-year Green Card is expiring cannot renew it. Instead, they must file a petition to remove the conditions on their residence 90 days before the card expires, or they will lose their permanent resident status. A family-based conditional permanent resident files Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. An investor or entrepreneur-based conditional permanent resident files Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions. USCIS provides a Filing Calculator to determine the 90-day filing date.

How to File Form I-90

If you need to replace your Green Card based on the reasons above, you may begin the application process by filing Form I-90 online or by mail. Filing online allows you to apply using a computer, phone or tablet, see when USCIS receives your application, receive online updates on your case, and communicate with USCIS directly. If USCIS approves the application, it will mail you a new Green Card.

If you are renewing an expiring card, the Form I-90 receipt notice can be used with the expired Green Card as evidence of lawful permanent resident status. The notice states that, together with the Permanent Resident Card, it provides evidence of your status for 36 months from the expiration date on the card, and that you remain authorised to work and travel. If you no longer have your Permanent Resident Card and need evidence of status while waiting for the replacement, USCIS may issue you an Alien Documentation, Identification & Telecommunications (ADIT) stamp after you file the form. If USCIS determines you must submit biometrics, it will mail you a biometrics appointment notice with the time and place of your appointment; that notice does not serve as notification of the biometrics appointment itself.

If your mailing address changes while your case is pending, update it through your USCIS Online Account if you have one. If you are outside the United States and your Green Card will expire within six months, but you will return within one year of your departure and before the card expires, you should file Form I-90 as soon as you return to the United States.

Checking Status and Responding to a Denial

You may check your case status online. USCIS advises waiting 72 hours after filing Form I-90 before checking. If you have immigration-related questions, you may call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283, or TTY 800-767-1833 for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability. You should be prepared to provide your name, date of birth, receipt number and Alien Registration Number (A-Number).

If USCIS denies your application, it will send a letter explaining why. You cannot appeal a denial. However, you may submit a motion to reopen or a motion to reconsider to the same office that made the unfavourable decision. A motion to reopen must state the new facts you would provide if the case were reopened and include appropriate evidence. A motion to reconsider must show that USCIS incorrectly applied immigration law or policy when denying the application, and that the decision was incorrect based on the evidence in the file.

Obligations of Green Card Holders

USCIS issues a Permanent Resident Card to all permanent residents as proof that they are authorised to live and work in the United States. If you are a permanent resident aged 18 or older, you are required to have a valid Green Card in your possession at all times.

The card has several practical uses. You can use it to prove employment eligibility when completing Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, and to apply for a Social Security Card and a state-issued driver’s licence. A Green Card is valid for readmission to the United States after a trip abroad if you do not leave for longer than one year. If your trip will last longer than one year, a reentry permit is needed.

What to Check on the Official Pages

Before filing, confirm your exact situation against the current USCIS pages for replacing a Green Card and for the period after a Green Card is granted. The replacement page lists the full set of triggers and the filing steps; the post-grant page covers conditional resident removal of conditions, the one-year travel rule and the requirement to carry a valid card if you are 18 or older. If you need legal advice or help preparing your application, USCIS points to its Finding Legal Services webpage and to the DOJ Recognition and Accreditation page for a list of organisations that may be able to assist. Fees and processing times are not published in the official guidance for this article, so verify the current Form I-90 fee and any biometrics requirements on the USCIS forms page before you file.